UK employers raise concerns, as young professionals admit to not wanting to take on the work of EU migrants

Over half (54.6%) of UK professionals aged 24 and under have said that they are not willing to take on work that EU migrants traditionally do in the UK, with a further 66.7% of 18-24 year olds stating that this is because they want to earn a higher wage

That’s according to new research from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library.

The study combines the views of 1,400 UK workers and 250 UK employers and found that nearly two-thirds (62%) of businesses are concerned that there is not enough UK talent available to fill their jobs. What’s more, a further four in 10 (40.4%) state that they hire EU workers because Britons don’t have the necessary skills for the jobs they’re recruiting for.

In addition to this, 76.2% of employers report that they have found younger workers are more reluctant to go for jobs traditionally taken on by EU migrants. However, the research suggests that professionals are currently wary about moving jobs in general, with four in 10 (39.9%) stating that they feel nervous when the economy is so uncertainty. This figure rose to 55.6% amongst non-UK workers.

Further analysis* of job market activity reveals significant application declines in some of the industries hit hardest by Brexit.

Agriculture – 18.6% decline in applications year-on-year

Catering – 16% decline in applications year-on-year

Electronics – 15% decline in applications year-on-year

Medicine – 11.6% decline in applications year-on-year

Engineering – 10.2% decline in applications year-on-year

*Year-on-year comparison of total applications made in these industries via the CV-Library website during the periods: January – October 2016 and January – October 2017

“It’s clear from our findings that people simply aren’t taking risks on looking for new jobs when the economy is still in such a difficult place. This is placing many employers in a challenging position, especially with non-UK workers feeling particularly nervous in case the situation worsens.

“But, put simply, there is not enough UK talent to plug the ongoing skills gaps. While the government hopes to boost the pipeline through the likes of investment in apprenticeships, young people clearly are not opting to go for the jobs that EU candidates are no longer filling and this could cause real issues in the future.”

The study also asked professionals whether Brexit had negatively affected their industry, with those working in agriculture feeling the most impacted (57.1%). People working in the electronics (66.7%), recruitment (50%), and hospitality (37.5%) sectors also felt they had been impacted, with a further 57.8% of finance professionals stating that they felt they would be most affected in the future.

Biggins continues:

“These industries, particularly the likes of food farming, were predicted to be some of the worst hit areas post-Brexit and it’s clear from our research that restrictions around access to labour is making a real impact. Creating a robust hiring strategy is of the utmost importance right now, especially if companies want to remain in strong standing as we continue to navigate through choppy waters.”